The present invention relates generally to postage metering systems, and more particularly to a postage metering device that is secure and operable as a dockable or removable device.
Historically, postage meters have been dedicated, stand-alone devices capable only of printing postage indicia on envelopes or labels (in the case of parcels). These meters typically reside at a single user location and provide postage metering for that location alone. Such meters conventionally require the user to physically transport the device to a post office for xe2x80x9cresettingxe2x80x9d to increase the amount of credit registered in the meter.
An advance over these meters is the ability to allow the user to reset the meter via codes, provided by either the manufacturer or the postal authority, once payment has been made by the user. Modern electronic meters are often capable of being reset directly by an authorized party, on-site at the user""s location via a communications link. One such system that performs meter resetting in this manner is known as a Computerized Meter Resetting System (CMRS). The party having authority to reset the meter and charge the customer (usually the manufacturer or the postal authority) gains access to and resets the meter.
Even with remote resetting, postage meters are still, for the most part, limited to use at a single physical location. As such devices are typically dedicated and also sophisticated in their fail-safe attributes and security, their price tends to be prohibitive for small entities. Moreover, because of the meter""s physical size and the need for supporting connections (power, communications, and the like), it is often necessary to bring the items requiring postage to the meter.
As can be seen, what is needed is a postage metering, system that is portable, low-cost, and flexible in operation, while maintaining the security features normally associated with a secure postage metering system.
The invention provides a postage metering system that is portable, low-cost, secure, and flexible in operation. By careful partitioning of the various features and functions of the metering system, a modular, compact, and low-cost design can be achieved. The postage metering system includes one or more postage metering devices that removably couples to a computer (or host PC) via a direct connection or a docking station. The host PC provides the user interface and coordinates transactions between the metering device and a postal provider. In some embodiments, multiple postage metering devices operate from, and share, one docking station.
Each postage metering device includes facilities to store important postal (i.e., accounting) information, perform secure processing, print postage indicia, and perform various other transactions such as funding of the metering device. Each of these functions can be achieved by a module that may be removable from, or affixed to the metering device. A secure metering device (SMD) maintains important postal information and, in some embodiments, performs secure processing to provide centralized postage accounting and security functions. The SMD can be housed in a smartcard or other small-size and removable units. A small dedicated printer for printing indicia enhances portability and decreases cost. The printer may also be removable from, or affixed to the metering device. The modular and compact postal metering system allows for printing of postage indicia at locations that are convenient to the end-user by allowing the user to take a portion of the system to the items requiring postage, rather than the reverse.
An embodiment of the invention provides a postage metering system that includes a computer, a docking station, and a postage metering device. The computer includes an interface to receive postage information (i.e., from a user). The docking station couples to the computer, and the postage metering device operatively couples to the computer via the docking station (i.e., the postage metering device is removably coupled to the docking station). The postage metering device includes a secure metering device (SMD) that stores accounting information and, in some implementations, circuitry that performs secure processing. In some implementations, the postage metering device further includes a printer that couples to the SMD and prints indicia.
In some implementations, the postage metering device is characterized by at least a xe2x80x9cdockedxe2x80x9d operating mode and an xe2x80x9cundockedxe2x80x9d operating mode. The docked operating mode corresponds to the postage metering device being coupled to the computer, and the undocked operating mode corresponds to the postage metering device being uncoupled from the computer. Each operating mode is defined by a set of operating characteristics relating to, for example, funding of the metering device and printing of indicia.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a postage metering system that includes a computer and a number of postage metering devices. The computer includes an input interface to receive postage information. Each postage metering device includes first and second interface ports and a secure metering device (SMD) that stores accounting information. Each postage metering device couples to at least one external device via the interface ports. The external device can be the computer or other postage metering device. Funding of a particular postage metering device is performed when that device is coupled to the external device.
Yet another embodiment of the invention provides a postage metering device that includes an interface port, a secure metering device (SMD), a printer, and an enclosure that houses the interface port and the printer. The SMD removably couples to the interface port of the metering device and includes a memory element, a processor, and an enclosure that houses the memory element and the processor. The memory element stores accounting information. The processor operatively couples to the memory element, receives a message, processes the message to generate an inidicium, and updates the accounting information to account for the generated indicium. The printer couples to the SMD and prints the received indicium.
The foregoing, together with other aspects of this invention, will become more apparent when referring to the following specification, claims, and accompanying drawings.